Eight people were injured in a four-car accident on Highway 88 on Valentine’s Day.

It started when Maria Gonzalez, 23, of San Jose was headed west just east of the Kirkwood Inn. Her vehicle, for unknown reasons, left the highway and hit a snowbank on the south side. She had five passengers in her vehicle.

Karen Carver, 58, of Chico was not able to avoid hitting Gonzalez’s vehicle. Both were then blocking the road.

To avoid the wreckage Christian Nelson, 19, of Elko went into the snowbank.

John Steffens Jr., 70, of Reno was unable to avoid Nelson’s vehicle, and hit it.

A 4-year-old in the first vehicle was airlifted to Renown Medical Center in Reno with major injuries. Seven others went to Barton Memorial Hospital with either minor or moderate injuries.

The 1pm Feb. 14 accident is under investigation.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report